Refrigeration apparatus



May 7, 1935. J. w. M NULTY I REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Nov, 4, 1932 R O T N E V m SPEAYTMIK Jo I'm W-M Nu H'y- WITNESSES ATTORNEY Patented May .7, 1935' REFRIGERATION APPARATUS John ,W. McNulty, RidleyPark, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 4, 1932, Serial No. 641,296

12 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerating apparaerant is conducted away to apparatus wherein it absorbs heat from the media to be cooled.

An example of apparatus of. this type heretofore known to me, comprises a tank having a spraying device therein, conduit means for circulating cooled water from the lower portion of the tank, through a heat exchanger where it absorbs heat from the media to be cooled, and back to the spray device. A steam-motivated ejector is provided for reducing the-pressure of the interiorof the tank and conducting away that portion of the water which is vaporized. As is well known the partial vaporization of the water in the tank, which isdue to the spraying combined with the low pressure condition, results in the cooling of the remaining water by the absorption therefrom of the latent heat of vaporization required to evaporate the vaporized -water. This type of apparatus operates with the highest degree of efficiency when a minimum of liquid refrigerant is carried away by the vacuum producing means, and when there is a minimum difference between the temperature of the cooled refrigerant in the bottom of the tank and the tenligperature corresponding to the vacuum in the a Difficulty has been experienced in the operation of prior apparatus of this character due to the fact. that the vacuum producing means, which in the above example is the steam-motivated ejector, carries off with the vapor stream a substantial amount of liquid refrigerant which results both in the loss of refrigerant and the inability of the ejector to effect as low a vacuum in the tank as it otherwise would. A further difliculty'experienced with this apparatus is the.

ineffective evaporation of the liquid refrigerant prayed in the tank. This latter is due in part to the inability of the ejector to provide a suflicient vacuum for the reason just explained, and also due to the failure of prior structures to maintain the small particles of refrigerant in a low pressure zone for a suflicient length of time. It is, therefore, an objectof this invention to obviate the above 'difliculties by providing an improved form of spray tank, spray device, and -baflle structure which are so constructed and arranged as to separate eifectively the liquid refrigerant from the vapor stream by 'the utilization of the law of inertia, to lower to the minimum the rate of flow of the vaporstream, to

produce an extremely fine sprayof the liquid refrigerant in the tank. and to provide relatively long paths of travel for the liquid refrigerant.

A further object is to provide refrigerating apparatus of this character which operates effectively and efficiently and one that requires little attention. 7

A still further object is to provide apparatus of this character wherein the amount of liquid refrigerant in the system is maintained constant.

These and other objects are effected by my invention, as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which: 1

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a complete refrigerating system constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through my iniproved evaporator or'spray tank, the section zo being taken ,on the line 11-11 of Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 3 is a-horizontal sectional'view of the spray tank taken on the'line IIIIII of Fig. 2. Referring now in detail=t0 the construction illustrated, it will be observed that I have shown,

pump l4 and is conducted away by a pipe l5.'

Condensate may be removed from the condenser by any suitable meanssuch, for example, as a pump 16. The non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser and vacuum maintained therein by an ejector ll also motivated bysteam from the pipe Ila, or from a separate source if desired. A I

Refrigerant, which in the present case is water, is supplied to the tank by means of an annular manifold l8 having spray nozzles l9 which produce a finely divided spray (see Figs. 2 and 3). As is well known, the low pressure condition in the tank produced by the ejector ll causes a certain portion of the water-to change into a vapor and the latter is conducted away by the ejector II. The latent heat of vaporization required to evaporate the water is absorbed from the unvaporized water, thereby cooling the latter. The water gravitates to the lower portion of the tank, the upper level of which is indicated at 20. I

The cooled water in the tank may be utilized for any desired purpose. In the drawing, I have shown it as being utilized in an air conditioning apparatus 2| for buildings or the like. The apparatus 2| is shown as comprising a tubular heat exchanger 22 through which cooled water from the tank I0 is circulated. The tank I0 is connected to the heat exchanger by a pipe 23 and the warm water is conducted back to the tank from the heat exchanger by a pipe 24 connected to the spray manifold 18. A pump 25 provides for the circulation of the water from the tank l0 through the heat exchanger and back to the manifold. Air to be cooled is forced around the tubes of the exchanger 22 by a fan 26 and conducted to the rooms to be cooled by a conduit 21.

In order that a constant supply of refrigerant be maintained in the system, I provide for the addition of make-up water as the levelof water in the tank is lowered by the loss of vapor. As shown, the reference numeral 28 indicates a pipe which may be connected to any suitable source of water supply. The supply pipe 28 is connected to the pipe 24 leading to the supply manifold l8. A valve 29 controls the flow of water to the pipe 24. The valve 29 is operated by a float mechanism 30 comprising a float chamber 3| connected to the water in the tank, a float 32, lever 33 and link 34 connected to the valve. As the level of water falls in the tank, the float mechanism operates to open the valve and add water to .the system.

In the preferred-embodiment shown, the spray tank It) is disposed vertically and comprises a funnel-shaped bottom wall 35, a top wall 36, and a cylindrical" side wall 31 joining the walls 35 and 36 and having an opening 38 in the mid-portion thereof providing communication between the inlet of the ejector and the interior of the tank. The water supply pipe 24 enters the wall 31 through an opening 39 and is connected to the manifold l8, as shown.

top of the baflle is spaced from the top 35 of the tank and thebottom of the baflle is disposed above the water level'20 so as to provide free and open communication between the interior of the baflle and the passage 42. A second baflle 43 is disposed between the baille 40 and the wall 31 and over the outlet opening 38 for 1 a purpose which will presently appear.

' The above described tank, battle and manifold structure provides for extremely eflicient operation of the refrigerating system. The manifold I! being disposed in' the manner shown with the nozzles I9 directed toward the center thereof, results in the production of an extremely fine mist or spray which travels both upwardly and downwardly and around the sides of the baffle 40 and into the passage 42. The bailles 40 and 43 are soarranged as to direct all particles of water away from the outlet opening 38 and downwardly toward the bottom of the tank. .In order for any particles of water to enter the outlet 38, it is necessary for their direction of flow to be reversed after such particles have started gravitating toward the bottom. The law of inertia opposes any such reversal and it is therefore apparent that an effective separation of the water particles from the vapor is effected. In addition, as the ballle 40 is disposed eccentrically with respect to the tank, and thereby provides a passage of varying area with the greatest distance between the bafile and tank being at the outlet opening 34, a minimum of restriction is offered to the now of vapor to the outlet with a consequent minimum rate of flow of vapor in the tank; This latter serves to preclude the entrainment in the outgoing vapor stream of any particles of water.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and-modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof; and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:--

v 1. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a spray tank comprising end walls and a tubular wall joining the end walls; a sleeve-like baiile element arranged within the tank with the axis thereof disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the tubular wall; the baiiie element being spaced from the tubular wall of the tank to provide a continuous passage therebetween, and the ends of the baflle being spaced from the end walls of the tank to provide communication between the interior of the baffle and the passage; means disposed within the baiile for spraying liquid refrigerant into the tank; means communicating directly with the passage at a point intermediate the ends of the bafile for effecting a vacuous condition inside of the tank; and means for withdrawing cooled liquid from the tank.

2. Refrigerating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve-like baiile element is disposed eccentrically with respect to the tubular wall of the tank and in such a manner that the distance between the baffle element and the tubular wall is greatest adjacent the point where the vacuum producing means communicates with the passage.

3. Refrigerating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant spray means comprises an annular row of nozzles disposed adjacent the inner surface of the bafile and arranged to direct a finely divided spray toward the center of the baflle.

4. Refrigerating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the refrigerant spray means comprises an annular manifold disposed in a plane normal to the axis of the baffle and having nozzle openings directed toward the center thereof.

5. Refrigerating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the refrigerant used is water and the vacuum producing means is a steam motivated ejector.

6. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a vertically-disposed spray tank comprising a top wall, a bottom vwall, and a cylindrical side wall joining the top and bottom walls; a. sleevelike baflle element disposed within the tank with the axis thereof vertical, and being spaced from the side wall of the tank to provide a continuous passage thereabout and the ends,of the ballle element being spaced from the top and bottom I:

walls respectively to provide communication between the interior of the baflle' and the passage; and means disposed within the battle for spraying liquid refrigerant intothe tank; the side wall of the tank having an outlet opening opposite the baflle; means communicating with said opening for producing a vacuous condition in the tank; and means for withdrawing cooled liquid from the tank.

7. Refrigerating apparatus according .to claim 6 wherein a second baflleis provided which is disposed within the passage and above the outlet opening.

8. Refrigerating apparatus according to claim 6 wherein water is used as a refrigerant and means is provided for automatically maintaining a predetermined water level in the bottom of the tank and below the lower end of the bafile.

9. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a spray tank comprising end walls and a tubular wall joining the end wall; a sleeve-like bafile element arranged within the tank with the axis thereof disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the tubular wall; the batiie elementbeing spaced from the tubular wall of the tank .to provide a continuous passage therebetween,

and the ends of the baflle being-spaced from the end walls of the tank to provide communication between the interior of the'baflle and the passage; means disposed within the baflie for spraying liquid refrigerant into the tank; and means communicating directly with the passage at-a point intermediate the ends of the battle for ef-' fecting a vacuous condition inside of the tank, the sleeve-like baflle element being disposed eccentrically with respect tofthetubular wall of the tank and in such a manner that the distance between the bafile element and the tubular wall is greatest adjacent the point where the vacuum producing means communicates-withthe pas sage.

10. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an evaporating chamber having a vapor outlet, means for discharging liquidto be cooled into said chamber, a baflle element disposed between and extending upwardly from said vaporvoutlet and'the point at which said liquid ,is discharged, the interior space adjacent the into said chamber,-a' baflle element disposed between and extending upwardly and downwardly from said vapor'outlet and the point at which said liquid is discharged, the interior space adjacent the vapor outlet and the interior space adjacent said point at which liquid is discharged being in communication with each other at a level spaced above and at a level spaced below said outlet and said discharge point, means for withdrawing vapor through said'vapor outlet to effect cooling of the liquid in the chamber by partial evaporation thereof, and means for withdrawing cooled liquid from the chamber.

12. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an evaporating chamber for containing liquid to be cooled by partial evaporation, means for withdrawing vapor from said chamber to eflect said partial evaporation, a tubular heat exchanger disposed exteriorly of said chamber, means for circulating air to be cooled around the tubes of said heat exchanger, and means for circulating liquid cooled in said chamber and collecting in the bottom thereof through said heat exchanger and discharging the same into said chamber above the liquid level therein, means for, adding make-up liquid to said circu-- lating liquid after it leaves said heat exchanger andbeforeit'is discharged into said chamber, and means operable automatically in response to liquid level in said-chamber for regulating the flow of said make-up liquid.

' JOHN W. HONULTY. 

